Will Jim Harbaugh Be the Most Successful New Head Coach in 2015 CFB Season?

Jim Harbaugh has been a miracle worker at every stop he's made across his coaching career. While this indicates better days are ahead for Michigan, how quickly will the wins actually come?

Can Harbaugh be the most successful first-year coach across college football in 2015?

Given the state of the Wolverines' current roster and the fact that there are other first-year coaches who are inheriting better situations, the odds are stacked against Harbaugh. This isn't shaping up to be a rosy season.

Even in the Big Ten, Paul Chryst at Wisconsin and Mike Riley at Nebraska walk into better rosters from top to bottom. Both programs have routinely won nine or more games over the past couple of years.

Assuming the Badgers' offensive line can be retooled, Chryst—a former Wisconsin offensive coordinator—will have another signature ground attack rolling in Madison. Riley, meanwhile, has a veteran team that should once again be in the Big Ten race. Both programs have fairly manageable conference schedules as well, since neither has to play Ohio State.

For what it's worth, Michigan has won just two games against either of those programs since 2008, though Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011.

While the recent history of Michigan football has been dark, the immediate future looks tough, too.

Offensively, the Wolverines were left in bad shape from the Brady Hoke era. Offensive line play is a concern after finishing 79th and 108th in sacks allowed per game in the last two years, respectively. There's also no established quarterback on the roster, even though junior Shane Morris has seen limited game action.

The defense has plenty of playmakers, including the return of coveted defensive back Jabrill Peppers from a season-ending leg injury, but will that be enough for Michigan to compete for a Big Ten East division title?

Let's pump the brakes there. The first thing Harbaugh needs to do is find two quarterbacks: one who can win in 2015 and one who can win later down the line. It's possible that can be found in the same player, but Harbaugh has been exploring all his options.

According to MLive.com's Nick Baumgardner, Harbaugh said Morris is No. 1 guy exiting spring, but that doesn't mean he'll stay No. 1. Later this summer, Iowa transfer Jake Rudock will join the roster.

"I expect there will be very good competition. He's a player who is hungry to compete," Harbaugh told reporters. "It's good for him academically and very good for him athletically with the opportunity to compete for a role, whether that be a starting role (or not), I know that's where his goals are aligned."

Baumgardner adds that Harbaugh is also preparing for the quarterback competition in 2016 before 2015 even gets underway:

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While Morris is presently the most experienced quarterback on the roster, he won't be when fall camp opens up in August.

Michigan will add fifth-year graduate transfer Jake Rudock, a former Iowa quarterback, this fall, as well as true freshman Zach Gentry. Transfer John O'Korn will also be in camp and with the team, but will have to sit out the 2015 season due to transfer rules.

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Stockpiling talent through transfers isn't the only route Harbaugh is taking. You build a program through recruiting, not acquisitions.

The Wolverines' 2015 class was just 14 members strong and finished sixth in the Big Ten, per 247Sports rankings. That class was never going to be huge anyway, but rumors about Hoke's job status definitely took their toll.

As a result, Michigan finished with its worst class ranking in 247Sports' archive, which dates back to 1999.

There's talent in that 2015 class, to be sure. Gentry, a 4-star quarterback, comes in later this summer.

Still, that only heightens the importance of the 2016 class—and the 2017 class and so forth. But Harbaugh has a plan there, too.

According to Chris Partridge, who holds a recruiting position with the team, Harbaugh and his staff will attend nine different football camps across seven dates during the month of June in what's being called "Football Summer Swarm Tour":

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Michigan Football coming to a town near you this summer! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/O2V8YXYR3N

— Chris Partridge (@CoachCPartridge) April 16, 2015"

Eventually, those efforts should pay dividends. Though classes are far from complete at this point, Michigan has already landed three 4-star recruits for the 2016 class.

For now, it's about laying the groundwork and taking some inevitable lumps along the way.

Harbaugh is a great coach, but 2015 is not shaping up to be a monumental year on paper. Double-digit wins, conference and national titles? Those are things Michigan will strive for under Harbaugh, but "success" should be defined differently in his first year.

Otherwise, it's leading up to be a massive failure.

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.